Acidity and exchangeable aluminium have deleterious effects on crop production on tropical soils. Though the amount of exchangeable aluminium is mainly controlled by soil pH, we showed that the minerals composition of soils from Cerrado, i.e. the amount of kaolinite v. gibbsite, is also a major controlling parameter. The liming strategies used to manage the aluminium content of soils also need to be re-examined in the light of the soil mineral composition.

The study presents a set of tools for better integrating reliable soil hydraulic information into model applications which often consider soils simplistically, homogeneous and isotropic. Its usage was demonstrated by deriving maps of available water capacity and by modeling the water balance in a small catchment. Although, results did not vary much whether using coarser or finer description of the catchment soils, the approach followed was simple, inexpensive, and feasible for modellers with few resources but interested in considering the spatial variability of soil retention properties at large scales.

Soils and the ecosystems they support provide a range of services that are fundamental to life. This study uses the inherent characteristics of soil to describe the natural soil capital stock and to examine the relationship between soil characteristics and rural farmland values. Using an economic valuation method we find empirical evidence that the characteristics used to describe soil natural capital stock are reflected in rural farmland values and demonstrate the importance of the complex relationships between these characteristics.

Field observations were undertaken in a small, salinised, bare-soil catchment area in Western Australia. The analysis of water behaviour near the soil surface during dry summer found the wetting trend in the near-surface soil in late summer was due to atmospheric water vapour ingress into the soil and demonstrated the active role of wind speed on the resistance to vapour transfer through the surface salt crust. These are important processes in understanding water and salinity movement in dryland salinised areas.

Under federal and state laws in Australia, the definitions of protected ecological communities often require that soils are derived from particular geological parent materials. We examine whether it is possible to determine the geological parent material of soils in the Sydney Basin from a single soil sample and conclude that it is not possible.

The soil compaction of agricultural soils is a global issue and of extreme importance, because it affects soil quality and crop production. Different methodologies are used to determine the degree of compactness in areas under conventional tillage, and this paper presents a new methodology for this evaluation in areas under no-tillage. The paper bring an important contribution to the field of agricultural sciences in addressing soil compaction through the degree of compactness, and soybean yield in different soils under no-tillage.

Some sandy soils resist wetting and repel water (soil water repellent or hydrophobic soils) due to organic coatings, which results in runoff of irrigation and precipitation water. Alleviation of soil water repellency (SWR) has been only marginally successful, so we used a new approach of applying selected enzymes directly to soils to see if SWR would be reduced by altering the nature of the organic coatings. In these laboratory proof-of-concept studies, laccase enzyme was highly effective in alleviation of SWR within one day of treatment, which suggests that this approach may be an effective treatment option after verification in the field.

Accurate water content determination is imperative for optimizing the management of soil-plant-atmosphere and hydrological systems. Newly developed dielectric sensors have simplified real-time determination of soil water content. TDR300 is such a sensor but little is known with regard to the accuracy and dependency of its measurements of soil type and other environmental factors. It was found that for accurate water content measurements using TDR300, soil specific calibration curve is needed taking into account its increased sensitivity to electrical conductivity.

This paper presents the results of a research undertaken in extensive marshes of southeastern Mexico, where livestock is a common practice and an important economic activity for the local population. It affects soil properties, which provide important environmental services, especially in areas vulnerable to climate change impacts. Low stocking, rotation once a year and maintaining hydrology preserves soil characteristics. We believe that this work will help local governments develop better strategies to carry out sustainable cattle ranching in tropical regions.

Soil maps are used for different projects like land evaluation, agricultural extension and environmental protection. The aim of this investigation was to study if delineated areas with the similar soil properties can be managed similarly by decision makers. Results suggest that similar management can be applied when a rough estimation of soil properties is required but not necessarily where high precision of soil information is expected.